Monday, November 26, 2012

I am off to sunny California in a week
to visit as many spas as my VISA can handle.
I am looking forward to visiting those I have researched and discover
those who have alluded my spa girl eye!
I am also looking forward to trying out some of the best spa cuisines.

Wellness, and looking great, is a
serious business in sunny California, so it will come as no surprise that the
state is home to the highest number of exceptional health, beauty and wellness
centers in the United States.

If I get the opportunity between this
spa extravaganza I will post some stories, if not, Spa Girls blog will overflow
in the new year.

Here is my wish list, in no particular
order...

The Huntington Hotel & Nob Hill Spa

One of San Francisco's
most beloved hotels, The Huntington
Hotel & Nob Hill Spa beautifully captures the flair of this
city. The discreet Huntington has drawn heads of state, celebs and world
travelers to its prestigious address on Nob Hill since 1924. Unwind in the
antique-strewn and Feng Shui arranged Nob Hill Spa for dreamy treatments such
as an Alchemy Transformation Massage, Vitamin C Facial and the Seaweed Leaf
Body Ritual. Eighteen-foot high windows with spectacular views of the city
skyline surround the infinity indoor pool.

Ojai Valley Inn and Spa

This historic and celebrated resort,
surrounded by scenic hills and mountains, features a full health spa and a
championship golf course. Five restaurants feature dishes made from locally
grown ingredients. Spa Ojai welcomes guests with warm, exotic rooms featuring a
variety of massages and treatments. A long list of mind and body fitness
classes is also available.

Montage Laguna Beach and Spa Montage

Set
on an oceanfront bluff with sweeping panoramas of the Pacific Ocean and
striking Craftsman-style architecture, this luxury beach resort commands 30
lushly landscaped acres in the heart of the picturesque arts community of
Laguna Beach making it the ideal choice for a seaside getaway or vacation. Here
in our vibrant artists' colony of Laguna Beach where mountains and sea
converge, we draw inspiration from nature to bring all aspects of your life
into artful balance.We
combine our therapists' extensive knowledge with the ocean's many beneficial
properties and a wealth of soothing indigenous botanicals to renew, refresh and
boost the immune system.Let
us re-connect your body and mind with treatments that detoxify, replenish and
balance, then enhance body and spirit with your choice of a personal fitness
program or wellness class as ocean breezes caress your skin.

Big Sur`s Esalen Institute

The list of visitors who have passed
through the doors of Big Sur’s Esalen
Institute reads like a who’s who of intriguing--and
talented--individuals: Bob Dylan, Ansel Adams, Aldous Huxley, Susan Sontag,
Deepak Chopra—each searching for knowledge, personal improvement, and perhaps
something else within. Perched on a Pacific bluff, the grounds alone are enough
to stir your soul: 120 acres of craggily glorious Big Sur land and seascape.
Add to that Esalen’s diverse intellectual and spiritual offerings—500 workshops
a year for just about anyone who wants to stretch and learn--spiritually,
mentally, and even physically in yoga classes. Looking for a little less
self-reflection and a little more pampering? Esalen massage is its own brand of
nirvana, and you can also take a soak in cliff-hugging hot springs.

Rancho La Puerta

High in the desert an hour from San
Diego, is Rancho La Puerta.
Considered the original destination spa, Rancho La Puerta features romantic
architecture, an organic farm, lush gardens, and even a cooking school. Rancho
La Puerta boasts hiking trails, swimming pools, whirlpools, saunas, and various
sport courts. It's no wonder that this spa has been dubbed a “summer camp for
adults.”

Kenwood
Inn and Spa Hotel

Asmall
hotel engulfed by ivy, roses, herbs and thick fig and olive trees. All rooms
and suites have feather beds, Italian linens, fireplaces, full bathrooms and
private entrances. The inn's spa was the first Vinotherapie center to open in
the United States, and offers a full menu of exclusive treatments that rely on
the anti-aging properties of grape-derived extracts. Among the spa's signature
treatments are the Kenwood Wine Bath and the Kenwood Wine Wrap.

Milliken
Creek Inn Hotel

This hotel sits on the banks of the meandering Napa
River --- a peaceful and elegant setting for a serene and sophisticated escape.
Fireplaces, French bath salts and fine Frette linens are just some of the
delights of this Inn. The beautiful
Milliken Creek Spa, situated riverside, caters solely to hotel guests, ensuring
that each client benefits from the most private and pampering experience
possible.

Solage
Calistoga Hotel

It boasts the usual: a luxurious spa, gourmet
restaurant and expansive pool. But it has the unusual, as well: a commitment to
ecological practices, Pilates and yoga classes and free cruiser bikes for
guests to use at their leisure. Spa Solage features volcanic mud treatments, as
well as facials and products from Kate Somerville, one of Hollywood's favorite
skin care gurus. Foodies will be glad to hear that on-site SolBar restaurant
serves some of the best fare in the area.

Auberge
du Soleil Hotel

This Napa Valley resort, whose French name
translates to "Inn of the Sun," has a reputation as one of the
world's finest hotels. Adobe-style buildings nestled throughout the wooded
property contain a total of 50 guest rooms, most of which offer breathtaking
views of vineyards, olive trees and hills. Guests can soak up some sun at the
recently redesigned outdoor living area called La Plage; its centerpiece, the
pool, glows with a pebble-sheen floor inlaid with Italian mosaic tiles and
mother-of-pearl.

Parker Palm Springs

Consistently named one of the country’s
top ten spas by Condé Nast Traveler, the spa at Parker Palm
Springs is an oasis of health and beauty at an elegant, country
club–style resort. After hitting the tennis courts or renting a mountain bike
to explore nearby trails, unwind with a “rubdown”—whether it be Thai, hot
stone, or create-your-own. Then get glowing with a sugar body scrub or beautify with The Matriarch, an
anti-aging facial that features an elaborate facial massage.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

I
took a much needed hiatus from Spa Girl
during an exceptional busy time at work, but I'm back with a post on HEAT!

I enjoyed a fabulous massage yesterday. It was the first day the weather turned
ugly. It was cold and snowy and the
roads were a mess. As I literally skidded
my way to my appointment I wondered if it was worth it, an hour and a half later,
I can honestly say it was!

I have not been practicing what I
preach, so this week I'm having back to back massages, the first being a
relaxing massage, the second with my RMT at home, which I love.

My relaxing massage therapist is just
amazing and she definitely has intuitive skills that make her an exception. Her meticulous and temperate touch often put
me fast asleep! Yesterday I was so tense
and overdue for a massage she added some additional modalities to her traditional
body work, some hand and forearm stretches (much to much computer work), hot
stones and warming blankets. Oh yes, and
a new aromatherapy oil blend that infused the room with the exotic scent of
tropical flowers.

Our bodies love
heat and during a massage this can be a great advantage to a successful
outcome, especially if you haven't been paying attention to your sore muscles.

As Leslie Bruder writes, "Heat opens the muscles and relaxes the joints, which helps to
penetrate the tissue more easily and leaves clients less sore from deep work.
Meanwhile, by providing warmth in your massage sessions, your clients will feel
more nurtured and leave your care with a lasting glow to shield them from the
cold outside."

So when the weather outside is frightful, remember to ask
for some HEAT!

Heat Techniques
Nurture Clients, by Leslie Bruder

Leslie Bruder, a massage therapist for more than 25 years,
holds a master’s degree in psychology and a certificate in integrated body
psychology. She has taught in numerous massage schools and spas, and holds
workshops in the art of touch throughout the United States and Mexico.

Spa Girls Blog

I created the SPA GIRL blog in 2009 because I wanted to share my spa experiences.
I am a big fan of aromatherapy,
thalassotherapy, spa cuisine and history.
I love to pamper myself, inside and out! And why not? I work hard, travel a lot and find the spa experience exciting each and every time.
Since the beginning of history, people have resorted to springs, baths, and spas for the therapeutic effects and power of their healing waters. Today the Spa experience has expanded to include so many ways to live a happy, healthy, holistic lifestyle.
Relax, rejuvenate, and restore: that’s Spa Girl's motto.
Spa Girl covers a number of my interests including: aromatherapy, home spa treatments, spa modalities, feel good tips, spa destinations, natural products and spa foods.
Spa Girl is also on facebook where in addition to my blogs I post links to other spa writers, spa reviews and tips.
I have studied aromatherapy for a number of years and create my own salt scrubs, bath oils, soaps and skin creams.
I am an avid researcher and love to research all aspects of the spa industry, study and of course try every spa experience there is.
My other passion is art museums.